1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an improved system and method for discharging and recharging metal-fuel material employed in metal-air fuel cell battery (FCB) systems and devices.
2. Description of the Prior Art
In U.S. Pat. No. 6,296,960, Applicant discloses several types of novel metal-air fuel cell battery (FCB) systems. During power generation, metal-fuel tape is transported over a stationary cathode structure in the presence of an ionically-conducting medium, such as an electrolyte-impregnated gel. In accordance with well known principles of electro-chemistry, the transported metal-fuel tape is oxidized as electrical power is produced from the system.
Metal-air FCB systems of the type disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 6,296,960 have numerous advantages over prior art electro-chemical discharging devices. For example, one advantage is the generation of electrical power over a range of output voltage levels required by particular electrical load conditions. Another advantage is that oxidized metal-fuel tape can be repeatedly reconditioned (i.e. recharged) during battery recharging cycles carried out during electrical discharging operation, as well as separately therefrom.
In U.S. Pat. No. 5,250,370, Applicant discloses an improved system and method for recharging oxidized metal-fuel tape used in prior art metal-air FCB systems. By integrating a recharging head within a metal-air FCB discharging system, this technological improvement theoretically enables quicker recharging of metal-fuel tape for reuse in FCB discharging operations. In practice, however, a number of important problems have remained unsolved which has hitherto rendered rechargeable FCB systems inefficient.
In particular, prior art FCB systems have suffered from problems associated with over and under recharging oxidized metal-fuel tape produced during discharging operations. Consequently, it has not been possible to optimally recharge metal-fuel tape using prior art recharging systems and methodologies.
Also, when using prior art FCB systems, it has not been possible to optimally discharge metal-fuel tape using prior art tape discharging systems and methodologies.
Thus there is a great need in the art for an improved method and apparatus for discharging and recharging metal-fuel material employed in metal-air FCB systems, while overcoming the shortcomings and drawbacks of prior art technologies.
Accordingly, a primary object of the present invention is to provide an improved method of and apparatus for discharging and/or recharging metal-air fuel cell batteries (FCB) in a manner which avoids the shortcomings and drawbacks of prior art technologies.
Another object of the present invention is to provide novel apparatus in the form of a metal-air fuel cell battery system comprising a metal-fuel discharging subsystem, wherein discharge parameters, such as cathode-anode voltage and current levels, partial pressure of oxygen within the discharging cathode, relative humidity at the cathode-electrolyte interface, and where applicable, the speed of metal-fuel tape are automatically detected, recorded and processed during the discharging mode of operation in order to improve the operating efficiency of the system and/or metal-fuel availability management therewithin.
Another object of the present invention is to provide such a system, wherein the metal-fuel material to be discharged and/or recharged can be used with stationary and/or moving cathode structures in the system.
Another object of the present invention is to provide such a system, wherein the metal-fuel material to be discharged and/or recharged is realized in the form of metal-fuel tape which, during discharging and recharging operations, is transported across a cathode structure associated with the discharging and recharging heads of the system.
Another object of the present invention is to provide such a system, wherein the metal-fuel material to be discharged and/or recharged is contained within a cassette-type device insertable within the storage bay of the system.
Another object of the present invention is to provide such a system, wherein the metal-fuel material to be discharged and/or recharged comprises multiple metal-fuel tracks for use in generating different output voltages from the system.
Another object of the present invention is to provide novel apparatus in the form of a metal-air fuel cell battery system comprising a metal-fuel recharging subsystem, and wherein recharge parameters, such as cathode-anode voltage and current levels, partial pressure of oxygen within the recharging cathode, relative humidity at the cathode-electrolyte interface, and where applicable, the speed of metal-fuel tape are automatically detected, recorded and processed during the recharging mode of operation in order to improve the operating efficiency of the system and/or metal-oxide presence management therewithin.
Another object of the present invention is to provide such a system, wherein the metal-fuel material to be discharged and/or recharged can be used with stationary and/or moving cathode structures in the system.
Another object of the present invention is to provide such a system, wherein the metal-fuel material to be discharged and/or recharged is realized in the form of metal-fuel tape which, during discharging and recharging operations, is transported across a cathode structure associated with the discharging and recharging heads of the system.
Another object of the present invention is to provide such a system, wherein the metal-fuel material to be discharged and/or recharged is contained within a cassette-type device insertable within the storage bay of the system.
Another object of the present invention is to provide such a system, wherein the metal-fuel material to be discharged and/or recharged comprises multiple metal-fuel tracks for use in generating different output voltages from the system.
Another object of the present invention is to provide novel apparatus in the form of a metal-air fuel cell battery system comprising a metal-fuel discharging subsystem and a metal-fuel recharging system managed by a system controller, wherein discharge parameters, such as cathode-anode voltage and current levels, partial pressure of oxygen within the discharging cathode, relative humidity at the cathode-electrolyte interface, and where applicable, the speed of metal-fuel tape are automatically detected and recorded during the discharging mode of operation, and automatically read and processed during the recharging mode of operation in order to improve the operating efficiency of the system and/or metal-oxide presence management therewithin.
Another object of the present invention is to provide such a system, wherein recharge parameters, such as cathode-anode voltage and current levels, partial pressure of oxygen within the recharging cathode, relative humidity at the cathode-electrolyte interface, and where applicable, the speed of metal-fuel tape, are automatically detected (e.g. sensed) and recorded during the recharging mode of operation, and automatically read and processed during the discharging mode of operation in order to improve the operating efficiency of the system and/or metal-fuel availablity management therewithin.
Another object of the present invention is to provide such a system, wherein the metal-fuel material to be discharged and/or recharged can be used with stationary and/or moving cathode structures in the system.
Another object of the present invention is to provide such a system, wherein the metal-fuel material to be discharged and/or recharged is realized in the form of metal-fuel tape which, during discharging and recharging operations, is transported across a cathode structure associated with the discharging and recharging heads of the system.
Another object of the present invention is to provide such a system, wherein the metal-fuel material to be discharged and/or recharged is contained within a cassette-type device insertable within the storage bay of the system.
Another object of the present invention is to provide such a system, wherein the metal-fuel material to be discharged and/or recharged comprises multiple metal-fuel tracks for use in generating different output voltages from the system.
Another object of the present invention is to provide such a system, wherein each zone or subsection of metal fuel material is labeled with a digital code, through optical or magnetic means, for enabling the recording of discharge-related data during the discharging mode of operation, for future access and use in carrying out various types of management operations, including rapid and efficient recharging operations.
Another object of the present invention is to provide such a system, wherein, during recharging operations, recorded loading condition information is read from memory and used to set current and voltage levels maintained at the recharging heads of the system.
Another object of the present invention is to provide such a system and method, wherein discharging conditions are recorded at the time of discharge and used to optimally recharge discharged metal-fuel material during recharging operations.
Another object of the present invention is to provide such a system, wherein, during tape discharging operations, optical sensing of bar code or like graphical indicia along each zone of metal-fuel material is carried out using a miniaturized optical reader embedded with the system.
Another object of the present invention is to provide such a system, wherein, during tape recharging operations, optical sensing of bar code data along each zone of discharged metal-fuel material is carried out using a miniaturized optical reader embedded with the system.
Another object of the present invention is to provide such a system, wherein information regarding the instantaneous loading conditions along each zone (i.e. frame) of the metal-fuel material are recorded in memory by the system controller.
Another object of the present invention is to provide such a system, wherein instantaneous loading condition data for each metal-fuel zone along a spool of metal-fuel tape is acquired by optically sensing bar code symbol data imprinted along the zone of metal-fuel tape to determine the identity thereof, loading conditions at the discharging head through which the identified metal-fuel zone passes are automatically sensed, and then such data is automatically processed in order to improve the operating efficiency of the system and/or metal-fuel availability management therewithin.
Another object of the present invention is to provide such a system, wherein the metal-fuel structures to be discharged are realized in the form of metal-fuel cards which, during the discharging operations, are brought into ionic-contact with one or more cathode structures associated with the discharging head of a metal-air FCB system.
Another object of the present invention is to provide such a system, wherein each zone or subsection of metal fuel along the length of metal-fuel card track is labeled with a digital code, through optical or magnetic means, for enabling the recording of discharge-related data during discharging mode of operation, for future access and use in carrying out various types of metal-fuel and metal-oxide management operations.
These and other objects of the present invention will become apparent hereinafter.